Barley can help lower 'bad' cholesterol according to a recent study

Did you know that the cholesterol-lowering effect of barley could be a benefit to your LDL and non-HDL cholesterol level which is found to be high in Type 2 diabetics? It also has 2x as much protein and 1/2 the amount of calories as oats.

So, after reading the article that was posted at CTV news what does this gal who loves to cook with barley from time to time do (see my blog post with a delicious gluten free recipe from Katie Zeller of Thyme of Cooking at this link ) ? Goes on the hunt for a breakfast cereal recipe that uses barley and is also gluten free (I was coming up with recipes that contained wheat - so instead plugged in "gluten free barley recipes").

So, feast your eyes on the one below that I found at Project Open Hand that was posted back in 2013 by Raymond Palko and get started yourself on exploring other options for cooking with barley and feel free to post any other ones you may find below in the comments section!!

Also, if you are wondering what some of the barley types are that you will see in the recipe links below - then scoot on over to this link - which helps explain the different types available.

Hulled barley is a hearty and nutritious grain that makes a wonderful breakfast. It’s high in fiber and may help lower cholesterol. Barley takes longer to cook than some other grains, but the following tips make it a convenient breakfast staple in your home.

HOW TO COOK BARLEY

Soak barley to decrease cooking time. Soak 1 cup of barley in 2 cups of water overnight in a covered container, in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse the barley before cooking. This will provide multiple servings, which can be stored in the refrigerator and quickly reheated over the next 3 days. (NOTE: These directions are for hulled barley. Pearled barley commonly found in the grocery store does not require pre-soaking.) Barley can be cooked in a pot on a stove or hot plate, in a slow cooker, or a pressure cooker. It cooks fastest in a pressure cooker, slowest on the stovetop.

• Stove: Add 3 cups of water to the soaked barley. Over high heat, bring the barley and water to a boil. Cover, and reduce the heat to low. Allow the grain to simmer for 45 minutes.
• Pressure cooker: Follow the above directions, but cook for only 15-20 minutes.

If you like your barley chewier, cook for less time. To make it creamier like porridge you will need to cook longer. Once it is a texture you prefer, drain off any remaining liquid.

DELICIOUS TOPPINGS FOR BARLEY

Now that your barley is cooked, add any combination of the following items for a delicious breakfast:

• Milk or soy milk (note from FatCatAnna ... almond or cashew milk is what I'd use)
• Fresh or frozen fruit
• Raisins or other dried fruits (note from FatCatAnna WARNING will add more to carbs so be careful)
• Protein trail mix
• Peanut butter
• Nuts
• Yogurt

Yes, I had to put a cat picture somewhere in this blog !!

Other resources to get your barley fix? Just look below -

• Bob's Red Mill Barley Flakes (the recipe post above uses whole barley) ... so check it out here - you'll also find recipes using the product.
• GoBarley - an international site based in Canada - that has some great recipe ideas and the story behind barley.
• Heart and Stroke Foundation - just search for barley recipes - and you'll find alot of mouth watering ones to try.
• I couldn't resist posting this recipe - that is made with mango, coconut and bananas (the recipe states that the barley can be made ahead of time and eaten over 5 days ... which is what I already do with oatmeal that I soak in milk overnight).
• Last but not least - not into a sweet breakfast meal with barley? Then check out this baked savoury one that has me licking my chops as I finish up this post .... you can find the recipe at this link .

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... taxation time in Canada

It's that time of the year again ... filing your income taxes here in Canada.

For those of us with health conditions, like myself with Type 1 diabetes, it can be a challenge to figure out what you can claim as " eligible medical expense " ( Lines 330 and 331 ).

Well, help is on the way thanks to Christina from Hamilton who reads my #dblogs from time to time - and had sent me a link from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to pass on to you.  It shows what Canadians can claim on our returns if you or your spouse/common-law partner paid for "eligible medical expenses" during the 12-month period ending in 2015 (or any that you did not claim in 2014). Whoo! Whoo!

The info is all pretty well straight forward, and you might even come across a medical expense that you didn't realise you could claim (I saw a few that I didn't know about).  Click on the following link  to find out more - http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/medical/

And if you've not applied for  the Disability Tax Credit (I've written about it at Diabetes1.org in the past) - then it's time to get cracking!  When I applied for it, I was granted a total of 15 years.  You can find more information about how to proceed with filling out the form through the great website run by Barb Wagstaff at Diabetes Advocacy.

The pros/cons of diabetes costs in Ontario

I am fast learning 6 months after my move from Quebec, that though we may pay less in provincial taxes, some costs are higher.  Though the one pro so far here in the small town I live in … when I go to walk in clinic (wait time is far less than in Quebec but for surgical procedures about the same according to 2014 statistics).  This is where things excel, along with referral to a doctor being quick when going to the clinic here in my town.  So I guess it all depends on what is more important to the individual.  For myself though at the moment, seeing my salary and eventually savings when I retire go towards funding the pharmaceutical companies due to my type 1 diabetes, is getting me abit down.  Luckily, my Dad taught me early on in age, whatever I was making, even at $7/ – to save for a rainy day - though I don't know if he meant it to be used on medical expenditures).

I’m finding that prescription costs in the small town I live in are much higher than  in Quebec.  Most of my prescriptions costs are up by $10-$20 more, along with a prescription fee being tacked onto that price as well.  It doesn’t help, living in a smaller town, as my pharmacist explained when I switched the brand of pen needle I use to one that is $25 less.  It’s all about how much they, the pharmacy buys for their clients to use, that controls the prices we pay due to volume.   It’s like really?  So, maybe moving my prescriptions to a bigger city (making a trip every 3 months) – is the way to go while I still have wheels. 

So, some of my little tricks I’m learning in order to feel like I have some sort of control as to how much the big pharmaceutical companies/pharmacy makes from me is to shell out for 3 months supplies of my prescriptions here in Ontario.  This makes the prescription fee less expensive (ohhh and I earn more travel rewards faster on my credit card BUT just have to pay it off in time before I get hit with interest).  Prescription fees in the town I live in can range from $8.41 up to $20.  The reason for the variance floors me to no end and sadly to make the drive to Ottawa, where Costco only charges $4 (remember – you do not need to be a member there to use the prescription service).  I did try to see if the current pharmacy I go to could match Costco’s … but nope … not possible.

Now, if I wasn’t making enough, then it would be a different case with being on the Trillium prescription plan here in Ontario.   I’ve been working on/off over the past 40 years, so I’ll never qualify unless I declare bankruptcy or some other way.  So there’s no win win situation – as one retired person put it to me– if they had to pay out what I do for my diabetes health – they’d not be able to go on their holidays.  That sort of hit me hard with that remark, and even worse was being told that having the insulin pump and CGM would be something they wouldn’t have in order to still do what they want to do.  Yuppers, I can see some of you stunned at that too.  If only they knew what these devices we now have to keep us well controlled can do to make our lives more productive (hey – we’re paying taxes to help pay for their pensions, etc.).  Now, if they’re reading this, maybe my they’ll rethink their comment.

The magic age of 65 is still abit of a ways away, but the main earner of the family after 35 years of working is giving the heave hoe to his work place, since if he stays on, he'll still be paying into a pension fund that won't mean he gets more if he leaves later.   So, while we both have good health, hoping to take advantage of some time off before we are sitting in our rocking chairs watching reruns.  I'm also  hopefully still alive and kicking to take advantage of the services my parents boast about.  

Yes, I’m freaked out about getting old (I can live with the aching knee joints and taking naps in the afternoon sun on the porch) – it’s all about the cost of staying healthy with my diabetes and trying to enjoy the golden years!  Anxiety over this is something I have to keep on pushing away and telling it to F-off!!  

The other option is to move to another province to get more bang for our bucks ( New Brunswick has been calling me for a few years and we are going there in June to check it out - compare it's medical coverage - cost of living in that part of the east coast of Canada ).  

NB:  If you’ve never applied for the Disability Tax Credit that I’d written about in the forums at Diabetes1.org … then check out how to go about it, along with other tips on how to save at the Diabetes Advocacy website link that you will find here. 

My Reflections of the International Diabetes Federation Conference in Vancouver

Sock Monkey preparing to give a speech!

We made it to Vancouver!!!

I’ve been back for a week now since doing my volunteer stint at #wdc2015 in Vancouver where  I lucked in on being one of the 100 volunteers that help IDF run smoothly.  Now, when I  say “lucked in”, being a volunteer is an expensive endeavour for those of us who don’t live close by.  For myself, it was a 12 hour journey to get to Vancouver on a milk run (if you saw my posts in Instagram with my 4 hour layover in Edmonton and “date” with one of the Westjet employees … you will see I made the most of this long trip out west).  I lucked in for this trip of having a nephew who is a Captain at Westjet giving up one of his standby passes to allow a less expensive option of flying the friendly skies of Canada along with shacking up with two other T1D mates in a time share that one of them has that was under a 2 km walk each day to the conference centre in Vancouver. 

Hamming it up within the #bluecircle

Despite this time of the year, which is rain, rain, and more rain … I loved my time in Vancouver both during the conference and afterwards (will blog about that experience later … let’s just say … I’m no longer a virgin when it comes to staying in a youth hostel).  The temperatures weren’t cold though many of the non Canadian visitors to the conference thought otherwise (e.g. “Dubai is 30C today … this 11C is cold”).  Ha! Ha! Come to other parts of Canada my friend and you will not be complaining.  All I can say, if I had a well paying job (rents are not cheap in the city which is where I’d love to live), I’d move out there in a flash!  Fresh seafood, laid back people, 2^nd hand shops galore, funkiness, ability to walk in comfort, good public transport … need I say more?

This was my 2^nd time volunteering with CDA (Canadian Diabetes Association) for the IDF convention, the last time was in 2009 in Montreal where I lived at the time (you can read about it @Diabetes1.org where I also did a stint wearing a media badge for them … this time I didn’t).   I loved my experience last time, talking to doctors, researchers, companies involved in helping diabetics live life to the fullest.   This time though, IDF due to legalities of products either not being available in Canada, as well as my not being in the medical profession limited the company representatives the ability to converse with me, and some could not even giving me a brochure to help me pass on the info to others (e.g. my CDE's at Cornwall Community Hospital - sorry).  This was my main goal with attending the IDF conference!  So sadly this maybe my last time going (next one is in Abu Dhabi) – as I found it highly frustrating not to have open and honest conversations with people.

Henna Tattoo (I got two) - and insulin pens that have been blinged out in "jewels"!!!

The one good thing though despite not being able to obtain info on new insulins, etc. was the amount of people I met who had either never seen a T1D of my longevity, without complications or the devices I wore.  I educated a few of them on the Dexcom G4 CGMS, insulin pump (e.g. a few nurses were interested in watching me do an infusion change in the washroom one day when Ziggy, my insulin pump, ran out of his juice of life aka insulin).  I was invited to a few countries to give talks (me … on a stage … never … leave that to the ones that enjoy being in the lime light … I’m just happy doing what I do here from my laptop and meeting folks in small groups).  So that made up for not being able to collect more information that I did last time I attended and I'm hoping to play catch up with some of the information sessions that I couldn't attend due to schedule with volunteer duties that are available to attendees to view online.

What did sadden me the most, and what I was being asked to help out with if I came to their country to educate/speak …. EDUCATION (please note … as I told them … I am not a medical professional … just someone living with diabetes most of their life).  It is greatly lacking, along with resources, and costs for drugs, etc. that we all take for granted here in Canada / USA (50 test strips a year are covered in some countries for a T1D!!!).    One surgeon I spoke to from Bangladesh, who performs amputations told me of the amount of amputations he does, not just of toes, but of legs due to people not either knowing they are diabetic, or footwear (many go barefoot or wear shoes that allow objects to become embedded into their feet).  He wished they had better education in their hospitals or community centre that taught people about foot care and diabetes.  I heard similar stories from people I met both during and after the conference, e.g. I met a woman from Saudi Arabia on the day of Santa Claus’s parade in Vancouver (piss pouring rain) and she asked me for directions to it.  It turned out as we walked that she had attended the conference, we discussed diabetes and how I handled it, exchanged calling cards, and viola, another person dealing with the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes in their part of our big blue marble.

The best part though?  Meeting up with new people and some I only know online and never met IRL since joining the #DOC (diabetic online community) in order to learn how to use my pump back in 2008! That in turn lead to a job at Diabetes1.org along with getting more involved in advocacy (I didn’t really talk much about diabetes for my first 41 years with it … shame on me).    Cherise Shockley gives a really good hug and speaks from the heart.  Manny Hernandez … well my “wet pussy” statements floored both him and Tom Karlya aka Diabetic Dad (sorry – I told them I didn’t wear my ears walking to the conference centre due to getting … rain soaked!!).   Sadly, I think Kerri Sparling was worried another photo bomb would be taken of us … so she avoided any "ear contact" with me ;)   The main thing though, meeting up with other folks (some you see scattered in pictures here) who are advocating / educating about diabetes is the most important thing!!!

Here’s to finding a CURE!!!

In a blink of an eye

Back in 2010 I did the most stupid thing, I briefly got an eye lash separator aka “ weapon of cornea destruction “ as I now call it (and I think my Mum does too) into my right eye which caused a corneal abrasion.   I already had a cataract forming in the same eye that my ophthalmologist had discovered just a few weeks prior (that really shocked me abit … but remember I am getting to be an old cat here). 

Fast forward almost 5 years later.  I’ve been noticing lately that I always seem to have sand in my eyes, and I put it down to air quality, heat.  I use eye drops once in awhile, and even use Muro 128 that is meant for this type of eye problem when I “remember” to you both the eye drops and gel.  See note below what I had been using had been recalled – yikes!   

Come Halloween night, I had a pretty teary and red eyeball that seemed to just come out of the blue. It made for that extra scary affect as I swung open the door and demanded to know what they wanted (some kids coming up the doorstep said my house creeped them out … jezz Louise … this is Halloween!!! Boo to you little cute Princesses, etc. etc.).

The next day, I was in agony. Eyes welling up with tears and I was even feeling depressed or down like I have been lately.  My eye was just leaking on its own accord and PAINFUL!!  Light made me feel like I was a vampire, wanting to seek shelter in the ground.  Sadly, I can’t do that, and even worse, working my shift with a lit up terminal was agony. 

Because of my fear of going into a walk-in clinic like I had back in 2010,  I called up the optometrist I was going to see for my yearly diabetic exam in December ( free for us in this province when it’s diabetes related – otherwise like in this case – I paid for each visit of $35).    I've been wearing glasses since Grade 5 and I’ve never been to an optometrist  for diabetic eye check ups except for vision testing ( you pay for this in most provinces of Canada).  I’m hoping that if my optometrist can’t help me with a problem that is diabetes related, that he will refer me to an ophthalmologist, and at that point, I no longer pay out of pocket.  If anyone from Ontario is reading this, correct me if I’m wrong.

Unlike Quebec though, where trying to see someone right away is impossible which is what occurred to me in 2010 … this optometrist office said get here stat.  Luckily, it’s within a 5 minute walk since I wasn’t fit to drive a car with this wacko eyeball affecting the other one, so off I trotted.

Long story short?  I had a pretty serious corneal abrasion that meant wearing a temporary clear contact lens for at least 24-48 hours (it was a bitch to put in by the optician since according to him I’m 1 in 100 that has very small eyes for my age and he had to use a child’s contact in the end).  Also, an antibiotic drop was given for 4 days to be on safe side along with keeping the eyeball bathed in gel drops for AM/PM use and other drops that will keep my eyeball encased in fluid (hang on a moment – off to put in some drops).  

The one thing he mentioned is what I have is very common in children and women due to our rubbing our eyes (which I don’t – so I’m wondering if part of the problem was from using the Muro 128 gel that had been recalled).  Also, this problem of dry eyes is seen in women in their menopause period of life, and can go on for … well like forever is the way I am understand him.  Time to buy stock in Alcon or Bausch & Lomb!

With a few follow ups over the first 2 weeks after the initial visit I’m now diligently putting those drops in my eyes and due to the seriousness of the abrasion, I’m on a tetracycline antibiotic for the next 3-6 months in order to save the cornea from further damage (hey wonder if my teeth will discolour like one of my friends did as a teenager when she had to go on them for skin issues).  Anyway, vanity aside of my pearly whites because I don’t use my teeth to see J .  The best thing about this optometrist is he's is up front and honest saying that it was serious and stated that if anything unusual occurs in the eye in the meantime, get myself either to his office STAT when it’s open or go to ER.  He gets right to the point with no sugar coating.

Now, if I lived back in Quebec … the land of waiting waiting waiting … I might not be writing this out today because my eyesight would be badly compromised at this point.  So far, this move to Ontario has been a good one, despite my home sickness for Montreal and friends.  Medically speaking, even with what occurred at Cornwall Community Hospital in September, along with recent endo appointment, all is good in my little world of medical practise.

So, shout out to Dr. Steve Bacher of Cornwall (gotta love his recent post on his wall about the 20-20-20 rule)!!  My eyesight has been saved … and even better … it’s not due to diabetes!!  Whoo! Whoo! 

Note:  I only discovered when writing up this blog today that the Muro 128 eye gel drops I am using have the serial number that had been recalled back in June 18, 2014!  I have been using these gel drops since July of this year, which is sort of when I started to notice problems with something in my eye.  Why the pharmacy (Costco in Laval)  that distributed these drops didn’t inform patients of this problem is abit frightening because I would have continued using them! 

My first endo visit in over 30 years!

I had my first meeting with an endocrinologist who works with insulin pump patients last month.  In the past I’ve used either my GP or a doctor that works in the endocrine area of the health field, but does not hold the title after their name (just like me, at times I’m like a CDE, but in reality, I’m just someone with 50 years of experience with T1D).  None of my past care givers understood pump technology, so as I’ve mentioned in the past, I do my own tweaking, and had been doing fine until menopause hit me last year.

The last time I’d seen an endocrinologist was way back in the 80’s … and I rarely saw them due to being busy with life, and in those days, we didn’t have all the technology today, so in some ways, at least for me, diabetes was just something in my life that today now seems to encompass my every waking moment with machines that read your blood sugars (CGM), or control the amount of insulin that goes into your body (insulin pump), along with blood glucose (BG) meters, and different types of insulin. 

It was an interesting meet up with the, originally they were coming to where I live (an hour and a half drive for them), but then a week before I was told they would have their head contained in a screen (my words – not the CDE’s words) … think of Max Headroom if you are of my age group you will know.  So, with the CDE in the meeting … we got started on figuring out my control of my diabetes, that I’ve basically been doing by myself the past 30 years.

I’d downloaded all my pump/CGM/BG meter info to Diasend that morning from home, so while the endo asked me questions, the CDE punched numbers on her screen while listening.   The endo couldn’t quite understand why I wanted a lower A1c which puzzled me, as I thought she would encourage me to attain a better number.  Explaining how many of us want to avoid complications, etc. with keeping a lower A1c didn’t interest her.

Their main concern was the hypoglycemic (hypo) reactions I have been having at night lately that they saw with the Diasend report.  Which is understandable after learning from various conferences I’ve attended over the year, hypos are harder on a diabetic body then a hyperglycemic (hyper) – e.g. going up high.  Of course, it all depends on how high you go up, but to me, anything over 15 / 270 freaks me out and the methods I use to bring even higher ones down she did not approve of.  I’m also still very lucky, I wake up to hypos, CGM or not, and generally do not over treat them which is what many diabetics do which results in that crazy roller swing.  I’ve learned over the years, depending on the BG number, to go from 5-15 grams of fast acting carbs, wait 15 minutes, retest.   Helps to offset that crazy high in the morning when you wake up.

The endo asked me to set my CGM alarm during sleep time to 15 / 270 in order to have a solid sleep (as we all know – lack of sleep can affect our blood sugars not just our sanity in our work place the next day or relationship that for me is already compromised by menopausal mood swings!).   Of course, freak out, I did request permission from CDE a week later after tying to follow endo’s instructions so I am now able to correct anything over that number, “safety first” as the CDE told me.  They just want me to be more sparse about it and only anything over 10 / 180 – which I have been doing – but this is way against the way I’ve handled my diabetes over the years by myself.  They are hoping to see what happens with my BG without correction, does it go up and stay up, or does basal bring it down.

I started to realise around that point that I had an endo that sticks to the rules and no matter what I said (e.g. I asked her if I could go on metformin, which has been shown to help T1D teenagers in attaining more level blood sugars … and that a study was being done with adult T1D’s using the drug and showing great success).  No, unless I was using over 50 units of insulin a day, she would not consider it.  I felt like I had the door slammed in my face at that point.

 My promise to follow a snack plan (carb/protein) in the evening as the endo requested in order to avoid hypos overnight – nope - that didn't last long.  Though I have now gotten into soaking almonds in water, and having about a ¼ of a cup before bed time and BG’s seem to be great overnight.  I really don’t do snacks at night time, which is something I did as a kid at home when my parents followed the CDA/ADA meal plan.

So, overall, I am realizing that it is the CDE team that is the most knowledgeable in diabetes management.  I have yet to tell them that I’ve gone ahead with upping my basal (the high wake up blood sugars during some of my major hot flash periods that last longer since I had the hysterectomy a few months ago was too much for my control level of diabetes).

It’ll be interesting to see how things go for my next visit at the end of January.  I do have a friend in Ottawa (he is on the study with Metformin) who has told me his GP who follows his diabetes is taking on new patients.  It’s something to think about, and with how I’ve always taken care of my diabetes, where I only go to see a doctor when I need a new prescription or have blood work done to see how I’m doing … I may just go back to that routine. 

Main thing for me, it’s an interesting experience to have a CDE team after all these years of my time with diabetes and even better is that they understand much of today's technology unlike my former doctors and I don't quite feel alone in working in the coal mine of my diabetes control.

.

Low Carb Alfredo Carbonara

I thought I’d post a recipe for a change of pace in my blog because I am so in love with spaghetti squash and the versatility of it as a low carb option for those of us who are watching their carb intake, but want to eat well! This time of the year it’s very affordable, and if I store it correctly when I buy it on sale , I hope to keep some for another month (if it lasts that long since I have a cool storage area for items like this in my 1930’s house … where they built places to preserve).

This recipe was inspired from this site but I tweaked my version to reflect my taste buds and give more help to the newbie squash chef of how many cups rather than just the weight.  Also how many the recipe feeds.  Hopefully the way I’ve written up the recipe will help you to decide how much to make (and duplicate the ingredients to ensure everyone has a full bowl).

YIELDS :    4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 spaghetti squash (4-5 lbs / 1.8 – 2.3 kgs) about 4-5 cups total

8 slices of bacon, cooked crisp, diced after cooling down (save the fat if using in Step 8 below)

2-3 Tablespoon of olive oil

5+ cloves of garlic, chopped (if you like garlic … add more – for the ½  portion we used 5!)

¼ cup olive oil (see Step 8 below)

Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved (put in a bowl for people to help themselves too)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. You can either bake the squash in the oven which I show below in Step 2.  If you don’t have the time, you can cook it in your microwave oven which takes about 10 minutes per half side.

  2. First wash the squash, slice off the stem, and stand it on the cut side to cut in half. This can be a challenge, use a good solid knife and protect your hands.  If you are ensure about how to do this … watch the link above for microwaving … she shows how to cut one in half with ease.

  3. Scrape the seeds from center.  Sprinkle the insides with salt and ground pepper.

  4. Place cut side down on oiled pan (I use parchment paper ) – saves on cleaning afterwards.

  5. Bake for 30-45 minutes or when a sharp knife is inserted without any resistance.  Set aside to cool.

  6. Cook up the bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Place on some paper towels to take off excess fat. Let cool abit and crumbled with fingers.  Set aside.  Note:  if you are not a lover of bacon fat which can be used in the later stage of this recipe, drain the fat, and place a few tablespoons of olive oil in pan, to cook the chopped up garlic for a minute or two.  When you smell it’s fragrance that usually means it requires no further cooking).  Set aside

  7. Using a fork, scrape the flesh from the squash in long strings and set aside in a bowl (don’t worry if that doesn’t work, it’ll all be gobbled up soon).

  8. You can either add the squash to the fry pan to mix everything up together with either a dollop of the ¼ cup of olive oil (use your discretion) or you can add in the reserved bacon fat if you feel like being on the wild side … it’s up to you!  Or you can toss the fry pan mixture into the bowl (I prefer the fry pan method myself).

  9. Divide up amongst 4 plates (or 2 if you’ve halved the recipe - I save the other half of the plain squash for another meal).  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese ( use LOTS) on it along with some freshly ground pepper.

You may never go back to the full carb/fat version of this dish again!  The portion I had was almost triple what I would have when made with regular al dente pasta, and my blood sugar remained steady in my happy blood sugar zone with no spiking at all.  Even better, if you’re not on insulin and just medication/exercise regime … bonus … you may be able to have a little treat with your espresso afterwards (psst - I still did - because I didn't mind using up 15 grams of carbs for a little biscuit with my cafe later).  

NB:  For those of you who are vegetarian - do not turn your noses up at this that it contains meat.  You can easily substitute the bacon for your fav vegetarian substitute!!  One recipe I can vouch for when I’m wanting a change of pace for my gutt, is this recipe that uses affordable block tofu!  Another one if you have the extra $$$ for it, is this version using tempeh.  Either recipe can be “crumbled” to replace the bacon in the recipe above and still be satisfying to the taste buds (as well you will stay true to your ethical opposition of eating animals). 

Bon appétit!

Life in The Bahamas as a T1D Pharmacist and CCDE

A few weeks ago I dropped in at Freeport, in The Bahamas when going on a short cruise for abit of R&R (escape from Old Man Winter ... like many Canadians do at this time of the year).  It was to finally meet up with Christine Snisky who is a pharmacist and CCDE (Caribbean Certified Diabetes Educator) and in her free time she also runs The Grand Bahamas Diabetes Education group on Facebook. She is a Super D Woman in my eyes!!!! Able to leap tall buildings in one leap!!!

Ahhh, there's nothing like life in The Bahamas

My main goal in meeting up with Christine was to present her officially with the blue circle pin, as part of the Pin a Personality Campaign that was started last year by IDF for World Diabetes Day (held every year on November 14^th).  Even though I think she thought I was silly saying that she's “a personality”, I still think anyone who works in the public doing what she does.... is a personality in my eyes.  I felt very honoured to have meet her and knowing how valuable she is to the community in educating diabetes.

She herself has Type 1 diabetes, which she feels was brought on by her autoimmune system being compromised by drugs that she had to take for a condition called Recurrent Respiratory Papillomas (RPP). She had numerous surgeries to remove the tumors from her respiratory tract (leaving her with a whispery sexy voice  ... or at least that’s my take on it <lol>).  If she hadn't had the surgeries, she would have died of suffocation. The good thing though is that she is one of the lucky ones, having been in remission for a long time.  And of all days, as I post this blog, on February 28th … it is the RareDisease Day celebrated all over the world to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives. 

Before meeting up with Christine though, since she was working until 1:00 that day, I sauntered around some of the ports shops outside the port, talking to some of the locals.  This is the best part of travelling for me, speaking to locals, finding out what makes them tick, and sometimes finding some of the best deals that the locals go to (and not the tourists).  What became clear to me, and more so after meeting up with Christine.  Bahamas is in dire need of proper education in the diabetes sector.

I was talking to one shop owner, and of course, in my excitement I told her I was meeting up with Christine later that day and that I had had Type 1 diabetes since 1967 (I am such a blurter out person about my diabetes aren't I?). 

She told me that she was a Type 2 diabetic, but after speaking with her, clearly to my unmedical eyes/ears, she was a Type 1.  She'd basically been put on insulin right from the start.  The scary part was she didn't know how to use her insulin, or what it exactly does.  She relayed the story of having a 400 mg/dl (22 mmol/l) blood sugar reading the day before, and “being oh so ever thirsty” and that she’d drank orange juice (OJ)!!!  I told her that OJ has sugar in it, and it would only make matters worse.  She seemed to understand this, but to make her feel not so bad, , I said she could always have put a dash of OJ in the water, to make it taste less boring than just plain water, but to try to drink just plain water and to give some fast acting insulin. 

My DH in the back listening to Christine and I yaaking about diabetes and life in The Bahamas 

Fast acting insulin? She did she not know how to correct her blood sugar with fast acting insulin or really what it was (I explained to how I gave one insulin for food, and another type of insulin for just keeping my blood sugars level).   I could see this was beyond her comprehension but the good thing is she told me she wished she knew these things.  That's when I told her that the same day I was visiting, a meeting at the hospital was taking place, that Christine runs every Tuesday at 7:00, and that if she could – she might want to attend.  She had heard about these meetings, and said she would go. I left hoping she did.

As I went around, I came across others with similar stories.  One store owner, an American who had married a Bahamian, knew about this lady having the high blood sugar and like myself, knew that treating it with orange juice was a no no.

Crikey, she's driving on the WRONG side of the road :)

Finally it was time to meet up Christine (I was worried we wouldn't meet since I had had no data or mobile since we’d left Miami a few days prior).  Luckily, Freeport isn't that big and I was wearing my smoking cat t-shirt as promised so she could spot me in a crowd. Just when I’d sent my darling husband (DH) to scout the public parking lot, who zooms up in their car but Christine!!!  She came out of her car, and I was soooo excited.  We hugged each like we'd known each other for ever!!!  Oh, I’m such an emotional twit aren't I?

Sock Monkey sampling the local brew of The Bahamas - what a trooper

She drove us to a nice quiet area of the island, far away from the floating city folks that were on the boat with us ... and we just chilled out and talked about diabetic education in the islands.  One thing that really got to me,  as of January 1st - VAT (ValueAdded Tax) is now placed on drugs in The Bahamas.  The minimum wage on the islands is barely enough to pay rent and purchase drugs.  Plus most do not have a private insurance like Americans do or a government plan - but that is in the works - but when it will happen who knows.  So, with the 7.5% VAT added, for some people, balancing their income to purchase insulin, etc. is difficult.  

Luckily, the cost of insulin though is not as highly overpriced as it is in the USA; the islands seem to sell their insulin and other medical supplies similar to how we have it set up here in Canada.  Maybe this is due to Bahamas and Canada being an independent Commonwealth realm (we both retain Queen Elizabeth's II as our monarch) - so we follow somewhat same government, but I'm no expert in this area.

Presenting Christine with the blue circle pin which one day will hopefully be the universally recognized symbol of diabetes awareness (I mean who doesn't love blue?). 

So, over a few beers (Christine is gluten free - so she had unsweetened ice tea) - we had a good time planning adventures for educating within The Bahamas ... and hopefully meeting up at the IDF World Diabetes Congress  in Vancouver this November where I'll be working as a volunteer again and cracking the brains of doctors / researchers / you name it I'll delve into many subjects! 

The only one drawback of the whole meeting?  Time flew by way too fast.  Before we knew it, we were speeding off to get back to the port to catch our cruise ship that was going to the next port (Nassau).  Quick hugs, running to the gates to get back on the ship (we were about 10 minutes late for passengers to get back on) - what a rush!!!  For the first time, we were part of the entertainment for folks watching us from the ship, being the last passengers on (hmmm, wonder if they paged our names a few times)!!!  Thank goodness I can run like a crazed woman when I have to ... with Sock Monkey screaming in my ear - go go go!!  Of course,forgetting what I educate other diabetics I mentor, I did not bring any spare insulin with me, etc. but then, if I'd been stranded on the island ... I had Superwoman Pharmacist Christine to help me out for my legal drugs ;) 

Till we meet again Christine and the folks in The Bahamas!!!  Who knows, maybe that dream of living in the islands will be coming faster than planned ... we can be the Team D Crusaders - sailing to various islands in the Exumas / Abacos...  have insulin ... will travel!!!

You can view more of my blogs at Diabetes1.org ... my first blog on this recent R&R can be found at this link ... thanks for reading my fluff (Sock Monkey made me say this).